Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-03-04
FORD'S NEW HOTEL
HANDSOME STRUCTURE TO BE ERECT
Ed on THE ST. CLAIRE SITE.
Elegant in Design-will Contain About
Four Hundred Rooms, and Cost
Near 100000.


Four Hundred Rooms, and Cost
Near 100000.
From all that the Dispatch can learn
it is certain that in the very near future
Richmond is to have n fine uptown
hotel which will be frst-class IN every
respect. Mr.. A. ]. Ford, the proprietor
of the hotel in this city which bears his
name, is, as has been previously an
nounced in the Dispatch, to have the
building erecteda at the northwest corner
of Ninth and Grace streets, on the sites
of the St. Claire and Virginia House,
both of which properties he has pur-
chased.
MIR. Ford has spent the most OF his
life. which has not been n very short
one. in the hotel business. For many
wears he he's had disposition to build
an elegant hotel here, and before de
Gliding upon any plan upon which to
build he travelled great deal and IN
spected many of the best houses OF the
kind in the United States, with view
to introducing in his the most modern
and desirable arrangements and i'm
provements.
THU BUILDING.
The beautifully-located lot on which
the hotel is to be erected fronts on
Grace street 1904 feet, from Bishop
Heane's residence to Ninth street, anu
extends from Grace street to the rear
end of Blair's drugstore, distance OF
1884 feet. The building will cover
the entire lot, will be seven stories high,
and will in general appearance some
what resemble the noted Windsor Hotel
of New York. The columns support
ing the porches, &c, are to be of Co
rin;hian style, while the general design
viii be Renaissance of plain, substan-
tial American architecture. The build
ing will be perfect parallelogram III
shape, will contain four hundred
rooms, with broad, central halls dl
viding them on all the floors. The
two front walls will he of stock
brick, trimmed with granite and iron.
The former will be used quite ex-
tensiyely. 1t is estimated that not less
than G.000,O00 of bricks will be re-
ouired for the structure. Through the
entire building will be electric-bells,
automatic-tubus, and all such new in
vontions of convenience and laOor-
saving.
THE FIRST FLOOR.
On the first floor viii be the office,
ladies parlors, reading, smoking, aud
wine-rooms, and number ot cn'm
beis, all IN 8,ufe, fitted up v.t't hi.l-
rooms. closets, Sc. From this door "a.
main double staircase, running r.s
and left, will extend to the top story.
The principal entrance wiz ae IRON
about the centre OF the |ia5a-s et
front: will be ten feet vile, and lrad
directly to the office. Jh.re will be- /
similar entrance Of Ike Dimensions for
ladies from the ,-racc-street front. Lac
Office will be in the centre Of the first
door, and viii be 5lx72 feet
With q pitch OF twenty Eve feet. The
top Of 1t will be circular and covered
with glass, the circulcr part being fres-
coed. around tie top of the office
will hc a balcony SIX feet wide on
which the quests can promenade, and
from there they can look down into the
Office. On the Ninth-street front
there will be a portico I'D
ieet wide and 80 feet long, extendinS
up TO the fifth story, which viii over
look the Capitol Square and the lower
portion Of the city. On the Grace
Street side there will be a portlco Of
the same height and width, 80 feet
long.
TIE OlBCR FLOORS.
On the second floor will be ladies'
parlors the dining room, 39xll6 feet !;
tea.room. 2Sx3S; and rooms en- suite,
with baths, &c. The five floors above
are to be laid off in similar manner,
except that on them will be no dining
or tea-rooms. There will be open fire
places and CRATES in nearly all OF the
rooms.
There is to he a passenger-elevator
TO run from the bottom to the top OF
the house, which will be entirely fire
proof, as it will run up in brick walls.
The whole house will be made as
near freproof rs possible.
Tie floor of the main Office and
porticos will be covered with tiles /;
the staircases will be made OF white
oak, wainscotted with Tennessee mar
bic.
What is considered one great advan-
tage of the proposed building is that
the porticos will be a means of exit III
case of fire.
THE BASEMENT.
III this portion of the building will
be the toiler-rooms on one side, bill
liard-hall on the other 25xl20 feet, a
bar-room 2jx50, barber-shop 25x3S,
wine-cellars, &c The kitchen apart
ments and cooking arrangements will he
in separate house on an adjacent lot.
There will be around the basement a
fonr foot area covered With patent lights.
j. J. Black, Esq, the architect, has
made a rough draft Of the plans and Is
now finishing them up The one repre-
senting the Ninth-street front was
shown DiSpatch reporter yesterday,
and it is quite attractive in appearance
THE COST.
Mr.. Ford, when asked about the mat
ter yesterday. said that ne could not
tell what the building will cost that
he had made all OF his financial ar
rangements and will build it first-class
in every particular regardless of cost.
MIR. Black thinks it viii cost between
$3.50, eco and $500, 1000.
The work of construction will begin
in q very short time. There is some
trouble about getting possession OF the
Virginia House, but it is thought that
that will be satisfactorily arranged in u
short time, and then the work of tear
ing ii down viii begin.
AS the lease on the st. Claire proper
ty does not expire until September
18th. the other portions OF the new
hotel building will be constructed first
that is, the two wings will first be built
and then the main building.
Mr.. Ford is planning this house to
be run by his son (who will have with
HIM manager of experience from the
Ncrth). and he viii continue to run the
present house.
The United states Courts.
| Judge Hughes is in the city, and will
remain day or two longer. No cases